You'll need a prescription to order contact lenses. Fortunately, getting a contact lens prescription is easy when you visit your eye doctor's office. Eye doctors can give patients comprehensive eye exams that will test eye health and visual acuity, typically in half an hour or less. Here are four things you can do to facilitate the process of acquiring contact lenses from your eye doctor:

1. Schedule an annual eye exam

Contact lens prescriptions are only valid for one year. This is because many people's vision changes over time. Visiting your optometrist on an annual basis ensures that your contact lens prescription is always up to date, so you can have the clearest vision possible. Scheduling your annual eye exam in advance means that you won't forget to renew your contact lens prescription in time, so you won't find yourself without contact lenses to wear.

2. Take a vision test

A vision test is a necessary part of your regular eye exam. It tests your peripheral vision and your ability to focus, which can tell your eye doctor if you require bifocal contact lenses or lenses that correct for astigmatism. Visual acuity tests allow doctors to test patients' ability to read texts of various sizes. This simulates a person's ability to see items in the distance, which is important for diagnosing myopia. The results of your vision test will be used to create a prescription for corrective contact lenses.

3. Try on contact lenses 

Your prescription strength isn't the only information that your eye doctor requires. During your eye exam, they will also measure the diameter and curvature of your eyes. This will enable your doctor to select the right size of contact lens for you. After your prescription is created, you will be given a pair of contact lenses to try on in the doctor's office. During this time, you should let your doctor know if your trial contact lenses are comfortable.

4. Order contacts through your eye doctor

You can purchase contact lenses from pharmacies and third-party vendors. However, the easiest way to get prescription contact lenses is to order them from your eye doctor. Eye doctors may keep common contact brands and prescription strengths in-office, which means you'll be able to take them home right away. Even if your eye doctor doesn't stock the exact contact lenses you need, they'll be happy to place a special order for you, so all you need to do is pick your contacts up when they arrive.